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Nagorno-Karabakh: Using Theatre To Confront Stereotypical Perception

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  • Nagorno-Karabakh: Using Theatre To Confront Stereotypical Perception

    NAGORNO-KARABAKH: USING THEATRE TO CONFRONT STEREOTYPICAL PERCEPTIONS OF HISTORY - OPED

    Eurasia Review
    Dec 4 2013

    By TransConflict

    December 4, 2013

    Using the theatre and theatrical techniques as a mean for creating
    a safe space for young participants from societies involved in the
    Nagorno-Karabakh conflict helped breakdown existing stereotypical
    perceptions of history.

    By Peace Dialogue

    Collective memory gives people a sense of belonging. History helps to
    explain the world. A shared view of history can motivate people to
    take action that changes the future. These were the main massages
    that the organizers intended to pass to the participants of the
    History-Theatre workshop, held in Tbilisi from 17-24 of November, 2013.

    The workshop was the last joint activity in the framework of Peace
    Dialogue's three-year project, Let's See... Let's Choose... Let's
    Change.

    This year the project's activities were mainly focused at developing
    a critical historical consciousness and understanding among the youth
    involved in the project that people themselves are actors in history
    and play the most active role in constructing collective historical
    memories.

    The History-Theatre methodology that was used during the workshop was
    developed by the implementing team, based upon Augusto Boal's Theatre
    of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire's pedagogical concepts and the team's
    experience working with the historical insights of representatives
    of conflict-affected societies.

    Using the theatre and theatrical techniques as a mean for creating
    a safe space for young participants from societies involved in the
    Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the trainer, Harald Hahn, and the project's
    German coordinator, Marina Grasse, tried to help the participants to
    see and recognize their own role in the history creation processes.

    Indeed addition, the organizers intended to break the existing
    stereotypical perceptions of history consisting solely of narratives
    of heroism and stories of a nations' victimhood.

    "History is subjective. It's open to different interpretations. Each
    country and every generation has to deal with their own past, but this
    should not be done by promoting myths or by using politically motivated
    interpretations of history to attack opponents," stated Marina Grasse
    during one of the discussions held in framework of the workshop.

    "I never thought about the power of the history", says one of the
    participants, Kara. "I realized now that having a concrete aim or
    a political agenda, through the compilation and presenting the same
    facts in specific order, one can make societies greatest friends or
    the worst enemies ever."

    Peace Dialogue are a member of the Global Coalition for
    Conflict Transformation from Armenia. Further information
    about this project is available by clicking here:
    http://www.peacedialogue.am/english/activity_more.php?SID=2&AID=601&TopicId=7&Language =Eng

    http://www.eurasiareview.com/04122013-nagorno-karabakh-using-theatre-confront-stereotypical-perceptions-history-oped/

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